text:
Homes in cities are less likely to have off-street parking than those in rural or suburban areas, and 78 percent of resident-owned American homes have a garage or carport, versus just 37 percent for those that are rented, according to US census data. “This burden is certainly felt more heavily by those living in urban areas, as in the US private garages with electricity access are almost universal outside of the dense city centers,” says Hall. “Even in cities in the US, off-street parking is relatively common, but these are frequently in shared garages where there may not be electricity access.”
In short, cities with the greatest need for EVs are the most hostile to them, and low-income residents who would most benefit financially by ditching gas can end up paying a premium. Installing an abundance of charging points throughout cities—on streets, in housing estate car parks, in retail locations and offices—can address the first challenge, but ensuring EV charging is equitable is a harder problem to solve.
In the meantime, city dwellers with lower incomes will either pay more for an EV or not drive one at all. “Either of these options reinforces economic inequality, and may also contribute to a popular perception of electric vehicles as a technology for wealthy people and not for broader society, hampering efforts to accelerate adoption,” says Hall.
To help close the gap, the rates for EV electricity could be reduced through regulation or enticements to utilities. The UK should reconsider the value-added tax (VAT), as home electricity has a VAT of 5 percent, while electricity sold at charging points has a VAT of 20 percent.
There are other solutions. Bonsu calls for more rapid chargers in communities, rather than just gas stations, while Hall suggests EV points be required in all new buildings or those undergoing major renovations, be they shops, homes, or office blocks. Hall warns against assuming only white-collar workers want chargers, which should be installed at industrial parks, retail locations, and anywhere else people work. “Although this will take a while to have an impact, it can help to ensure that once electric vehicles make up the majority of the fleet, far more drivers will have access to affordable, convenient charging,” Hall says.
But there’s more to the problem than availability of infrastructure—charging networks are too complicated, adding extra burdens beyond the financial. There are dozens of suppliers, each with their own payment app, subscription systems, and prices, not to mention connection fees and other add-on costs and different chargers. “The user experience that comes with using public chargers versus a home charger is night and day,” says Patrick Reich, the CEO and cofounder of charging aggregation and payment app Bonnet.
Another complaint is reliability: Drivers show up to charging points to find they’re in use, out of service, or not compatible with their car. “People are not so worried about range anymore, but they do have charger anxiety—when they turn up to charge, they want to be confident that it’s working and available for use,” says Melanie Shufflebotham, COO and cofounder of Zap-Map.


text:
The strength of Australia's mining sector helped it to avoid recession
Australia's economy grew strongly in the final three months of 2009, capping a year in which it was the only major economy to avoid recession.
The nation grew 0.9% from the July-to-October quarter, its biggest expansion since March 2008, the government's statistics bureau said.
Australia's growth was "the envy of the developed world," Treasurer Wayne Swan said.
For the whole of 2009, Australia's economy expanded 2.7%.
By contrast, the economies of the UK, Germany and Japan shrank 5% in 2009, and the US contracted by 2.4%.
In the fourth quarter of 2009, Australia said machinery and equipment spending surged almost 11% from the previous three months.
It avoided the worst of the slump due to huge government spending and massive Chinese demand for its commodities.
Since the end of 2008, the government has introduced a number of multi-billion dollar stimulus packages, including increased infrastructure spending and cash handouts to most Australians to lift consumer spending.
Australia's economy only contracted in the final three months of 2008.
It therefore avoided recession, which is generally defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth.
This week, the central bank has raised interest rates, for the fourth time since October, to 4% from 3.75% to cool its growing economy.
Australia was also the first developed nation to raise interest rates - from 50-year lows - as the economic crisis eased.

domain: news


text:
General Motors, Toyota, and Honda have each indicated what the future holds for automobiles, announcing upcoming automated models of their vehicles.
General Motors also plans new “connected car” to help prevent crashes.
Automaker lays out plans for “partnership” between the car and the driver.
Your car will soon do more to help avoid a crash. But as for leaving the driving to the vehicle while you relax, don’t get your hopes up. That’s the message from Toyota.
The Boston Business Journal reports Terrafugia has been testing it’s vehicle called Transition, which can fly at speeds of up to 100 miles an hour, and can reach altitudes of 10,000 feet. It’s scheduled to be released in mid-2016.
Terrafugia CEO Carl Deitrich tells the BBJ their target customer is retired or semi-retired. “Many were promised a flying car when they were younger and now they can get one,” he said.


text:
Tesla has recently announced that it will not be launching any new models this year, with the year 2023 set as the earliest this will happen. The company is currently focusing on getting out of the supply chain issues and making sure it can produce enough cats in a global scale. Tesla has the Roadster, Semi and Cybertruck all waiting to be released and all of them were announced a good few years ago now.
In the company’s 2021 earnings call, Elon Musk said that “If we were to introduce new vehicles, our total vehicle output would decrease. We will not be introducing new vehicles this year.”
Tesla will not be putting the Cybertruck into production this year and the company needs to handle the massive increase in orders for the Model Y and Model 3. Elon said that both the Roadster and Cybertruck should go into production next year. The company has long been rumoured to be working on a cheaper model, under $25,000 but when asked, Elon said that they are now working on one at the moment, the company is too busy.


text:
Cosmetic dentistry is a $21.9 billion industry that’s projected to reach $30.1 billion by 2025. According to market reports, advances in technology, dental techniques and minimally invasive procedures coupled with increasing consumer demand for cosmetic procedures like tooth whitening, veneers and dental crowns have caused the industry to flourish. All of this along with, of course, the continued emphasis on aesthetics and personal appearance we can attribute to the rise of social media, and now our webcams during Zoom meetings.
While the demand for all cosmetic procedures has risen over the years, the desire for whiter teeth has seen especially significant growth, and a quick scroll through your Instagram ads will likely show you a market that’s trying to capitalize on our insecurities. There are now hundreds of at-home teeth-whitening brands, kits and products, many of which are heralded by celebrities and Instagram influencers as all-natural or “accelerated” teeth-whitening solutions.


text:
Superyacht UK is at the London Yacht Jet & Car show from 8-10th April. Come and see us at stand R08 in the entrance foyer. SYUK will be at the show meeting current members and prospective new members.
Visitors to this event will be treated to displays from the world’s leading luxury yacht builders & brokers, yacht charter agents, yacht & interior designers, private jet manufacturers, jet charter agents, luxury car manufacturers and distributors and a whole host of luxury goods and service companies.
The show is being held in two centres Old Billingsgate & St. Katharine Docks.
Opening Dates / Times:
Wednesday 8th April 2015: 12pm – 9pm
Thursday 9th April 2015: 12pm – 9pm
Friday 10th April 2015: 12pm – 8pm


text:
PETALING JAYA: Netizens are unhappy with Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM)’s announcement of up to 400 per cent toll hike for those using the Johor Causeway, saying that the move would burden Malaysians working in Singapore and also affect businesses in Johor.
LLM announced that the toll hike is to be imposed on all vehicles passing through the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex, beginning Aug 1.
Facebook user Pejo Ung said that the move was akin to cutting off one’s nose to spite his face.
“If Singaporeans stop coming, Johor's economy will be affected,” he wrote.
Another user, David Thena said, “I’m wondering are we digging our own grave...those who commute to work in Singapore suffer most.”
Keeran Kaur and Michael Tan also shared the same sentiments, saying that the move would affect businesses in Johor.
“Johor Baru businesses will suffer the most. Malaysia killing itself,” Kaur wrote.
Sri Krishna called the toll hike ‘rubbish’, lamenting the need to impose such high rate on Malaysian cars, and not just to those with Singaporean number plates.
While most were not unhappy with the increase, there were others who opined that the hike would not stop Singaporeans from coming to Malaysia.
Martin Jung said that we (Malaysia) provide facilities at a much cheaper rate compared to the neighbouring country.
“Singaporeans will continue to come. With two point five times exchange rate, things are still cheaper.
“Those Malaysians driving Singapore cars, remember you earn Sing dollars, but why stay in JB, accommodation, parking, rokok (cigarettes), food, groceries etc must be cheaper than Singapore right?” Jung said.
Another Facebook user Shakie Shawn also said that it was a good move to impose toll on Singapore cars but questioned the rationale behind imposing it on Malaysians.
“Good move to start charging toll on Singapore cars, slightly down reactions in the beginning but after awhile, I am sure no effect at all.“They are just like Malaysians in many ways and live with it. But why increase on us Malaysians? by triple? Ridiculous,” Shawn said.
Did you find this article insightful?


text:
Tesco’s Christmas in numbers
22 December 2016
Friday 23 December will be Tesco’s busiest day of the year with over 10 million customers visiting its stores across the UK. At the busiest point during this day Tesco will serve around 15,000 customers per minute.
- Tesco will sell around a third of its Christmas turkeys this Friday – that’s nearly 200,000 customers buying their turkey crowns and birds in one day! Over 10 million pigs in blankets will also be sold to accompany these turkeys.
- Customers are expected to buy 40 million Brussels sprouts this Thursday and Friday. That’s 800,000kg of the nation’s most controversial vegetable.
- Tesco will also sell around 3.5 million packs of carrots - that’s 27million carrots! If these were to be placed in a line it would stretch 11 times around the world.
- Across the entire Christmas week Tesco will deliver approximately 53 million cases of groceries to its stores, that’s around 90 cases per second 24 hours a day. On Thursday Tesco will deliver grocery volumes into stores which would fill the Royal Albert Hall 2.5 times over.
- Across the Christmas week a vehicle will be dispatched from one of Tesco’s distribution centres approximately every 15 seconds.
Matt Davies, Tesco UK CEO, said:
“We all know what a busy time Christmas can be and that’s why we have brought in an extra 15,000 festive colleagues to help customers in any way they can. Whether customers are ordering online or visiting one of our stores they can be reassured that our colleagues are working hard to ensure they get everything they need in order to be ready for the big day!”


text:
Publishing firm Macmillan US will be freezing salary hikes for its employees earning more than $50,000 per month in the wake of economic crisis which has seen a decline in retail book sales.
The move to freeze pay increases would be effective from January next year but those getting below 50,000 dollars per month would be receiving modest hikes.
In an internal memo, chief executive of Macmillan US John Sargent said the actions for the next year comes as the company's business continues to be 'soft'.
"Effective from January 1, 2009, we will freeze salaries for everyone making more than $50,000. For those making under $50,000, there will be a pool for modest increases," Sargent wrote in the memo.
The chief executive noted that all bonus plans would stay in effect, but 'all are sensitive to individual company profitability and individual performance. Thus the impact on individual bonus plans will vary'.
Many media publishing companies worldwide are embarking on cost-cutting measures including layoffs in certain cases, to tackle the deepening financial turmoil.
Observing that the country is clearly in recession, Sargent pointed out that there is still no clarity on how long or deep it would be.
"What is clear is that retail book sales are down, advertising revenues are down, and even countercyclical businesses like education are struggling in many cases. We are not immune to these forces, and our business continues to be soft.
"So the time has come to take action for next year," Sargent said.
Pointing out that it has been a very tough year for retirement savings, the chief executive noted that the company plans to make its "usual discretionary contribution to the 401k plan for 2008 (paid in March 2009).
"As we informed everyone last week we will continue to absorb the same percentage of costs for our medical benefit plans," the CEO said.
Recently, the chief executive of British daily Financial Times John Ridding in an internal memo had said that there would be no salary hikes in the near term, in addition to introducing voluntary redundancy programmes.
Further, the newspaper would offer voluntary reduction in working days to its employees and also tighten the recruitment process.
Moreover, travel and entertainment would be limited to essential 'revenue-generating or editorial trips and meetings'.
In the internal memo, Ridding said the firm would be increasing the yearly base salary next year only for those earning less than $50,000 while for others, the 2009 pay would be the same as in 2008.
Reports suggest that the number of people employed in media houses in the US and the UK, which stands at about 10 lakh, is expected to come down by half in the next few years.


text:
TILBURY, England — It is identified as the “wine train,” and each and every weekend it rumbles out of the port of Tilbury, east of London, on a 100-mile journey to a depot in central England. It appears really a lot like any other freight train, but it carries an strange cargo: Practically 650,000 bottles of wine.
This 32-vehicle, 1,600-foot-prolonged traveling wine rack is the most recent, and 1 of the extra creative, answers to the provide shortages that have bedeviled Britain and triggered the federal government to fret about disruptions to the Christmas vacation.
On Saturday night time, in biting winds and rain, a little workforce of employees used large equipment to carry large containers crammed with wine into location before the most current departure. Functioning beneath floodlights, they meticulously maneuvered cargo that had arrived by ship on to the practice certain for a terminal in Daventry from where it will be distributed to some of the country’s top supermarkets.
The wine prepare has been operating from this hectic port for a thirty day period or so, lowering the reliance on truck drivers, who have been in small supply in Britain, and making sure that Britons will at minimum have a respectable stock of alcohol all through the holiday break.
But two months following gas and food stuff shortages prompted shudders of panic throughout the place, Britain continues to encounter troubles in its supply chain. A absence of truck motorists, merged with world shipping and delivery delays, product or service shortages, the pandemic and Brexit constraints, has left some grocery store cabinets bare and stores warning that not every Christmas present will be obtainable.
The problems about the holiday break period have only been worsened by the discovery of three cases of the new coronavirus variant in Britain. On Saturday, Key Minister Boris Johnson explained that masks would be required in outlets and on public transportation and that travelers arriving from abroad would experience some new rules. But he mentioned he was self-assured that Xmas would be “considerably better” than very last yr.
Businesses like toy shops, coffee shops and butchers report currently being short-staffed, and about seven in 10 folks have described variations in foods purchasing, together with getting significantly less selection in outlets, in accordance to authorities details unveiled previous week. Shortages are patchwork and random across the nation, including to the guesswork.
On Wednesday, the Chilly Chain Federation, which signifies firms that retail store and distribute frozen meals, warned that consumers could have fewer options this Xmas.
Amid continuing disruption, the federal government claims that it is determined to “save Christmas” — as some British newspapers have place it. On Tuesday, one senior minister, Stephen Barclay, assured colleagues at a cabinet assembly that there would be enough turkeys for festive dinners. That was in doubt just months in the past when farmers were being warning of shortages.
“Essentially, the difficulties carry on unabated, and though they have dropped out of the headlines, that does not imply that items are any improved,” claimed Ian Wright, main govt of the Foods and Drink Federation, a team that signifies extra than 800 organizations in the sector.
He stated that his users experienced been made use of to 97 per cent of their orders arriving on time, but that now, a person-fifth of objects will not show up when envisioned — and which ones will be lacking is anyone’s guess, he mentioned.
Richard Wilding, professor of provide chain administration at Cranfield University in England, used U.S. army terminology to explain the troubles for British companies.
“Things are really VUCA, at the second,” he claimed, applying an acronym that stands for risky, uncertain, elaborate and ambiguous. He cited the pandemic, labor troubles and lockdowns abroad — activities which, like a rock landing in a pond, can send out out ripples around the globe.
As for Brexit’s effects, Mr. Wilding described it as “the cherry on a really awful pie,” mainly because it has brought on more disruption just as the pandemic accelerated the changeover to the electronic financial system, putting new tension on source chains.
Patrick Adom, the founder of Quite Puzzled, which sells jigsaw puzzles with maps and other illustrations of Africa and India, stated that this calendar year he had delivered just 200 merchandise to suppliers and prospects in the European Union that’s down from about 2,000 a calendar year ago, when Britain was nevertheless in the bloc.
The world-wide shortage of transport containers, Mr. Adom said, has driven up the price of sending puzzles from the manufacturing unit in China, where by they are manufactured, to Britain by 30 to 40 p.c, in comparison with early in 2020. Even after the solutions get there in Britain, their onward journeys have been delayed due to the fact of the absence of truck motorists and the gas shortages, he stated. He included that Brexit experienced also led to greater export charges and elevated administrative hassles.
“Just when you are acquiring into your rhythm, new troubles existing them selves,” Mr. Adom said, adding, “It’s been a real storm, mainly.”
At Immediately after Noah, a household furniture and toy store in North London, Matthew Crawford, the director, said that he had been forced to order nearly double the common total of inventory in the prelude to Christmas to compensate for delivery delays. Price ranges are bigger, but the company has absorbed them alternatively than go them on to shoppers because of steep opposition from on the web stores, he stated.
“Almost every person we know is owning problems finding stuff into the nation,” Mr. Crawford noted.
And the bureaucracy can be crushing, Mr. Crawford added. When imported objects arrive at British ports from the European Union, he now has to establish items individually, as well as the supplies they are built of, to the British govt. Specifics like what kind of glaze is used on mugs will trigger tariffs to improve, he said.
Mr. Crawford stated that Just after Noah had also struggled to recruit staff for the first time in its 31 yrs, a problem he attributed to Brexit and the drive amongst E.U. staff to be nearer to their households during the pandemic.
The government has made available limited-expression fixes for selected sectors to make certain that the shortages do not disrupt Christmas celebrations. In September, for instance, it designed available 5,500 quick-expression visas to poultry workers from the E.U., hoping to make sure that turkeys would be on the Xmas table. More than 2,500 staff arrived, in accordance to the British Poultry Council, a trade group.
Ranjit Singh Boparan, operator of the turkey producer Bernard Matthews, explained that up to 900 seasonal workers, mainly from Jap European international locations, experienced joined the firm in latest months to function at its processing amenities in East Anglia.
“We’re properly on the way to plugging the job gaps for the substantial quantity improves we get during this time of calendar year,” he explained in a statement issued very last week. Whilst he praised the small-phrase visa program, he urged the governing administration to issue visas for for a longer period periods. “Labor as a vital structural challenge for our sector is here for 12 months of the yr, and it’s just one that is not heading to go absent,” he said.
Not all foodstuff producers have been as glad with the government’s response. Members of the British Meat Processors Association are finding “more and far more desperate,” mentioned Jon Hare, a spokesman for the team, which represents most of the organizations doing work in the British meat field.
“If anything at all, the scenario has gotten even worse,” Mr. Hare reported, introducing that aggressive presents from other parts of the meals and hospitality business had created it tricky to maintain on to workforce.
Wine distributors are not the only businesses obtaining inventive to guarantee that their goods reach shoppers in time for vacation events. A person grocery store chain, Tesco, has begun working with a rail assistance managing from Valencia, Spain, by means of France, to Barking, near London, to transport lettuce, fruit and vegetables.
Tesco also transports provides on the large wine practice. And Freightliner, the organization that runs the coach, reported in a statement that it was receiving more enquiries to go merchandise by rail — since of the trucker lack and a desire to decarbonize the transportation of goods.
Freightliner instructed that the weekly deliveries on the wine practice — whose cargo will take numerous several hours to load — experienced not yet contented the demand from customers all through the holiday season.
“We are on the lookout to maximize the frequency of this assistance to day by day,” the company mentioned.


text:
Other fast food chains jumped in on roasting IHOb , sparking the Great Brand Twitter War of 2018. That will come to no surprise to some Internet sleuths, who combed through federal records, finding no proof of the restaurant officially changing its name.
In order to tweak this now Permanent Time Mode for even more enjoyment 24/7, the team over at Epic Games is making a few key improvements to the already incredibly popular feature. Although there's no fixed date for when Playgrounds will return, Epic has detailed a bunch of changes for the next version. "The Playground LTM represents our first step into what a full creative mode looks like in Fortnite ", Epic wrote.
Facebook is now in the process of sending out notifications and messages to the people who had someone removed from their blocked list. It is worth noting here that this is the second software glitch Facebook has revealed in less than a month .
The games on the NES Classic are generally good and the loadout is worth playing through if you're looking for a nostalgic slice of gaming. Nintendo expects the system to be available for the rest of the year, as they mentioned on Twitter back in May.
The back of the Google Pixel 3 XL greatly resembles the smaller variant, with the same glass/metal design. The display might also have an 18:9 aspect ratio. Interestingly, there are dual cameras on the front, maybe for a better Face Unlock system. It has done great with a single camera in that department.
In September, your device should automatically update to the final version of iOS 12 and you'll be able to delete the configuration profile . No more having to sign up for a $99 per year Apple Developer membership to get early access to features like Screen Time, App Limits , Alternate Appearance or iPhone X Memoji support.
Supreme Court ruling that retailers must collect sales tax from buyers in other states could mean more than $200 million a year to IL. The case, known as South Dakota vs. The Supreme Court agreed to overturn those decisions in a 5-4 ruling. Attorney General Marty Jackley said it was a win for South Dakota and for "Main Street businesses across America that will now have a level playing field and tax fairness".
Since then, the video-sharing website has ballooned to a user base of 1.8 billion, becoming a platform for aspiring content creators looking to strike it big. There are also some hints of the defunct Vine service in there, appropriate, as some of IGTV's stalwarts like King Bach started on there. "Right now, we are focused on building engagement", Systrom said during a press Q&A following the announcement.
It is expected that Nintendo Switch Family Showdown will air on the Disney Channel, Disney XD, and be streamed on the DIsneyNOW app in August. Families will be performing specific tasks in each game, like searching for collectibles in Mario Odyssey , winning a match in Mario Tennis Aces , or performing a dance off in, you guessed it, Just Dance 2018 .
It's unfortunate, however, that Sony has blocked compatibility with any competing consoles when it comes to cross-play and transferring progress you've made in games playable on other platforms. Players barely had time to realize there was now a Fortnite for Switch , but they still reacted accordingly. It's not a good idea to disturb avid gamers, but Sony's PlayStation is doing just that and even Wall Street seems to be taking notice of threatening social media rants by irate gamers.
Soon enough, Twitter began to remove some tweets featuring Miller's phone number or links to the article containing Miller's number, which greatly angered journalists from Splinter News who have since written an article about their original article being "censored".
The front is all display , with a slight Galaxy S9-like curve around the side edges. OPPO is instead betting big on facial-recognition; there's a small 3D scanner baked into the front-facing camera that starts working as soon as the tray begins to rise, authenticating you before it's even finished emerging.The camera setup itself is made up of three sensors: one on the front (25-megapixel) and two on the rear (20-megapixel + 16-megapixel).
It was understood that cross-play on the PS4 version of Fortnite would be limited to PC, Mac, iOS, and Android, but nothing was said about not being able to use your account on the Switch . Fortnite is already a huge hit with PS4 fans, offering a true free-to-play experience so gamers can jump in and play online. The popular video game " Fortnite " has finally arrived on the Nintendo Switch, but not without some controversy.
This year's highly anticipated E3 Square Enix showcase broadcasts on Monday, June 11 at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. However, the conference itself let players hear from developers about what they actually added into games like Just Cause 4 or Shadow of the Tomb Raider .
As of Tuesday morning, it was 12 stories high, seen taking a nap outside a window. Onlookers began to gather on the streets below as calls were placed to Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota and the city of St. The #MPRraccoon near the roof of the UBS building in Minnesota , USA. The writer and director of " Guardians Of The Galaxy ", which features a raccoon as one of the characters, said he'd donate $1,000 to charity for the rescue of the raccoon.
Mobile gaming is insane big these days. Howard was insistent that the game will be fully playable offline, but he also said that "every surviving human is a real player". Bethesda is not afraid of a little self-referential humor and released a humorous trailer for Alexa Skyrim: Very Special Edition with Keegan-Michael Key playing the game on Amazon's Alexa followed by a pager, an Etch-A-Sketch, and a Samsung refrigerator.
It introduces three new game modes: Story, New Game and Survival Mode. Id also teased the sequel to 2016's Doom , apparently titled Doom Eternal . The initial release of Halo Infinite may only contain the single-player experience, with the multiplayer part of the game releasing quite a bit later.
The camera then zooms back to reveal a familiar-looking person in an iconic suit of armor: Master Chief. The last time we saw a proper game in the Halo series was with the fifth game, Guardians , about three years ago. The original Halo released as a launch title for the original Xbox in 2001. That makes sense, as we know Microsoft is preparing to wade into the VR market with its own range of headsets and they will need a big launch title.
A notched design for Pixel 3 XL does not come as a surprise given Android P, which is the latest operating system includes support for notch. The phone appears very similar to the leaks that surfaced online within the past couple of weeks.
It said the bug automatically suggested that users make new posts public, even if they had previously restricted posts to "friends only" or another private setting. If users did not notice the new default suggestion, they unwittingly sent their post to a broader audience than they had intended. Considering that Facebook has almost 2.2 billion users worldwide, the number of affected users is small.


text:
Mobile operator partnerships are fuelling growth of insurance in Cambodia
Insurers in Cambodia are finding that partnerships with mobile service providers are proving to be a lucrative way for signing up new customers.
Partnerships with mobile service providers have greatly helped insurance companies with market penetration here, insurers told Khmer Times.
Last year, BIMA, an insurance provider, started working with Smart Axiata to provide life insurance to consumers. Forte Insurance started working with Smart to deliver personal accident insurance.
Now, just over a year together, the two sets of products reach more than 100,000 customers in total, and allow many more potential customers to grasp the value of insurance.
“We are indeed very happy with our results. Being the first to offer insurance policies via mobile in Cambodia has been rewarding,” said Yap Kokleong, chief marketing officer with Smart.
Cambodia’s insurance industry drew $32.2 million in premiums in the first six months of this year, a 20 percent jump year on year, according to the Insurance Association of Cambodia. Fire insurance rose 42.2 percent to $12.4 million, more than twice the total premiums of any other insurance type.
Personal accident insurance increased from $1.8 million in the second quarter of 2014 to $2.4 million in the second quarter of 2015. Medical and health insurance grew from $3.6 million to $5.2 million over the same period.
The exact breakdown in subscribers per underwriter is not available. However, BIMA country manager Amritha Mani had said that the company reached more than 75,000 subscribers for its life insurance product in late July. She added that BIMA and Smart add 10,000 customers every month.
“To place this in context, we estimate that Smart Life Insurance now accounts for about 40-50 percent of the total individual life insurance policies in Cambodia,” she said.
Forte’s figures were not immediately available yesterday.
According to Smart, interested customers choose insurance they want – either life or personal accident. The costs for these policies start at 2 cents per day, according to Smart. The mobile provider does not offer the same product from different underwriters.
Smart has a sales force marketing insurance products. The underwriters work with Smart and also their own outreach teams, holding seminars to teach potential customers about why insurance is vital. Overcoming ignorance about insurance is the key obstacle to growing the number of policyholders, according to the companies involved.
“Beside marketing campaigns to educate our consumers regarding insurance and its benefits, we have direct marketing campaigns via sales forces and call-center teams,” said Mr. Yap. Ms. Mani said that customers appreciate the simplicity of mobile insurance due to its paperless registration and easy payment options.
Another life insurance provider, Manulife, does not work with mobile products to the same extent but enabled a mobile option for premium payments last year, in partnership with Wing. This delighted Manulife’s customer base, according to chief marketing officer Tola Ponlu.
He said that while he could not discuss Manulife’s future plans in detail, the international company has not ruled out a deeper partnership with a mobile provider in the future.
In April, Minister of Posts and Telecommunication Prak Sokhonn said that mobile phone operators had sold 20.45 million SIM cards by the end of last year. Cambodia has a population of 15.5 million people. BIMA cited an industry study which found that 93 percent of Cambodians have cellphones.
According to analytics firm GfK, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia increased their smartphone sales in the range of 7 percent to 27 percent in the first half of this year, compared to the same period last year.
Srey Tech, an Internet analyst, said that smartphones are Cambodians’ primary method of accessing the Internet and performing a growing number of tasks. Companies across industries have taken notice and started making sure their sites and services are mobile-compatible.
BIMA is no exception – its platform is integrated with Smart and works with all types of phones – from low-end feature phones to smartphones.


text:
The debate over online privacy and end-to-end encryption that has been raging for years since whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked information about the United States National Security Agency’s covert surveillance of Americans’ communications to the press in 2013 continues.
Privacy organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation are up in arms over two bills before the U.S. Senate claiming to fight online child sexual exploitation. They argue that the bills violate the Constitution and weaken both national security and online security for individuals.
One, the EARN IT Act of 2020, would let the government compel online service providers to break encryption online. The other, the Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act, would let the Department of Justice demand manufacturers of encrypted hardware and software, communications providers, and others create backdoors in their products or services.
Meanwhile, organizations fighting child sexual exploitation argue that encryption facilitates predators’ activities; a growing problem, with 18.4 million reports were made last year to the U.S. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
At Facebook’s annual general meeting on May 27, nearly 13 percent of shares voted were in favor of asking the company to assess the risk of increased sexual exploitation of children as it develops and offers additional privacy tools such as end-to-end encryption.
Law enforcement contends that encryption facilitates criminals and terrorists.
Into this mix comes colorful cybersecurity expert, and fugitive from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, John McAfee, who founded, then sold, the cybersecurity company bearing his name.
On July 7, McAfee announced the launch of the 4G Ghost Cell Phone Data Service, which he described as the world’s first private cell phone data service.
Users will be untraceable and untrackable, according to McAfee. The service is slated to launch globally in December.
Promise of Privacy
The Ghost Cell Phone Data Service is part of a larger ecosystem which includes McAfee’s Ghost cryptocurrency and GhostX Exchange for private cryptocurrency exchange.
“The Ghost brand will encompass a range of practical, real world tools for people to protect our rights and take back our privacy,” McAfee said. “Privacy is a human right.”
McAfee invited members of the media to beta test the service. They should contact mcafeeghostphone [at] gmail.com if they wish to do so.
“It’s likely that the Ghost Cell Phone Data Service provides a suite of anonymity services, but it’s one thing to say you make certain things more anonymous and another to guarantee complete anonymity no matter what you do,” Roger Grimes, data driven defense evangelist at KnowBe4 told TechNewsWorld.
“Anyone promising the latter should be suspect.”
It is possible to track users “myriad of different ways that have nothing to do with your physical connection,” Grimes noted, and “if this service is really, really good at perfect anonymity and becomes known to law enforcement you can expect that it will be outlawed. Most of our world’s governments don’t tolerate perfect anonymity that really works.”
How Ghost by McAfee Works
The service, which is data-only, uses eSIM so phones can connect to its network without needing a SIM card, which is traceable.
It provides coverage in 35 countries.
Users can manually select from more than 2,000 IP addresses in these countries to access service, making it difficult to pinpoint their location. They can change IP addresses as frequently as desired.
All network traffic will pass through multiple anonymized servers and cannot be traced accurately back to the customer.
The service is designed to obscure the user’s location, and “a trace on your phone will show you are where you aren’t,” Rob Enderle, principal at The Enderle Group, told TechNewsWorld.
Ghost is providing a free app for the service for both iOS and Android.
The service supports the Google Pixel 3, 3XL, and 4 XI; the Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, Fold, and Galaxy Z Flip; the iPhone 11 family, as well as the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR. Other phones that support eSIM technology may work on the network also.
The basic service package will offer access to Ghost’s networks and 1 GB of data transfer. Additional data can be purchased as an add-on.
To use the data network, all that owners of a supported phone need to do is scan a QR code supplied when they purchase service. No personal information is required for sign-up and all service is prepaid with no contract, according to Ghost by McAfee.
Voice services are not included, but the data plan fully supports VoIP services like Skype.
That’s a potential crack in Ghost’s armor.
VoIP services “keep call records, and Skype in particular has shared such data with the NSA in the past,” Paul Bischoff, privacy advocate with Comparitech, told TechNewsWorld.
“Even if your data connection is private, you can still be tracked if you log into your accounts or use a Web browser with cookies enabled.”
Two Sides of the Tracking Coin
Law enforcement contends that online anonymity and encryption shield criminals and terrorists and facilitate their actions, but privacy organizations have pointed out that bad actors can easily move their operations to the Dark Web and have used alternative means of communication or developed their own encrypted applications.
“While a service like this will certainly be attractive to the bad actors of the world, it will also be of great use to legitimate uses such as journalists, human rights activists, and other users in countries where the government is known to monitor and restrict online activity,” Chris Hauk, consumer privacy champion at Pixel Privacy, told TechNewsWorld. “I look forward to seeing more services like McAfee’s in the near future.”


text: Three dimensional printer makers 3D Systems (DDD), Startasys (SSYS) and ExOne (XONE) are advancing after President Obama favorably mentioned the industry in his State of the Union address last night. Also, Proto Labs (PRLB), which operates in a related sector, reported stronger than expected results. In last night's address, President Obama said 3D printing "has the potential to revolutionize the way we make almost everything." Meanwhile, Proto Labs - which manufactures plastic injection molded parts and sells them to developers who use 3D CAD software to design products - reported stronger than expected fourth quarter results. On its earnings conference call the company provided Q1 EPS guidance of 28c-32c, versus analysts' consensus estimate of 30c. 3D CAD software can be used in conjunction with 3D printers and Piper Jaffray analyst Troy Jensen indicated yesterday in a note to investors that Proto Labs is in a related sector to the 3D printer makers. In mid-morning trading, 3D Systems climbed 4.1% to $65.67, Stratasys rose 1.1% to $76.38, ExOne advanced 4.4% to $28.70 and Proto Labs surged 24.6% to $52.32. The Fly notes that 3D Systems and Stratasys fell sharply in yesterday's trading.


text:
Clear Channel Airports (CCA), a division of Clear Channel Outdoor, a leading marketer of outdoor and airport advertising, has teamed with multi-media company, Monster Media, to create the first gesture-based digital signage network to be featured in select airports across the United States. The inaugural interactive attraction is set to be installed in Seattle–Tacoma International Airport’s (Sea-Tac Airport) with plans to go live on June 1.
Gesture technology, similar to that used in many of today’s cell phones, enables advertisers to create a full-body interactive experience. Broadening the boundaries of the powerful out-of-home (OOH) advertising medium, the technology allows for dynamic multi-media imagery to be integrated with branded messaging, generating a one-of-a-kind, immersive encounter for users.
“Clear Channel is redefining the digital out-of-home advertising landscape with cutting-edge display platforms that deliver greater engagement for brands,” says Toby J. Sturek, president of Clear Channel Airports. “Through our gesture technology display at Sea-Tac Airport, we’re providing advertisers with a new way to deliver truly memorable brand experiences.”
The wall display is presented on an LCD monitor consisting of nine 46” screens arranged in a 3’ x 3’ square grid pattern. The entire unit, including the framework, measures to 91” in height and 144” in width. The multi-touch LCD screen functions as both digital signage and a presentation system for conveying multi-media information. Users interact with multi-touch applications by pointing at or touching the screen.


text:
Audiovisual (AV) resellers have a lot to get excited about this year, according to channel players.
When asked what was going to be hot this year in the world of AV, the major distributors didn’t pause for breath before answering.
Tracy Barrow, AV business development manager at Computer 2000, said: “This year the consumer side will really take off for VARs. Before Christmas most of our resellers were asking for consumer products, such as Media Centres, and LCD and plasma screens. With this in mind we are taking on some new vendors, including Relisys and Vogels. We will be selling Relisys’ large-format LCD and plasma screens and Vogels’ brackets for LCDs.”
Midwich has also predicted an increase in demand from the consumer market.
“A very big development for resellers this year will be high-definition (HD) projectors,” said Stuart Mizon, divisional manager for AV at Midwich. “To get the proper benefit of HDTV, users will need HD-ready projectors.”
Rob Gowman, senior sales consultant at AV reseller JKC, agreed: “This year display screens and high-definition (HD) are going to be big news. With Sky broadcasting the World Cup matches in HD most people will want to get their hands on a HD-ready TV. We have already been getting people asking us about it.”
Ian Vickerage, managing director of Imago, said: “An area that stands out for us as being big this year is IPTV. Initially the market for IPTV will be businesses, but another big area that is beginning to take off is hotels and eventually home users will get on board.”
Vickerage said that resellers with IP and /or video expertise would be best placed to do well in this new market.
Colin Messenger, senior consultant at analyst Decision Tree Consulting, said: “Interactive whiteboards are definitely still going to be very strong this year. Although last year was a great year for sales of interactive whiteboards, we’re predicting even larger sales volumes this year. The main reason is because for schools, interactive whiteboards are now standard pieces of equipment. Teachers are used to working with them and many even request them when starting a new job.”
Messenger also predicted that the corporate market for interactive whiteboards would start to take off this year.
Vendor's announcements include AI-powered Microsoft Office, a move away from password verification and an alliance with Adobe and SAP
Vendor claims hackers are hijacking machines to mine for cryptocurrency
Nearly half of SMBs are planning to invest in digital workflows to reduce their paper-based processes by 2025, according to Quocirca
The charter has pulled together the biggest names in tech in an unprecedented attempt to address the tech industry's lack of diversity. Tom Wright asks how it plans to do it


text:
KATHMANDUPATI (Aug 12): The price of fine gold has fallen sharply by Rs 6,200 per tola to Rs 95,400 per tola. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association (FENEGOSIDA), the bullion price nosedived Rs 6,199 per tola from Tuesday’s price to trade at Rs 95,400 per tola.
Earlier on Tuesday, the gold was trading at Rs 101,599 per tola on Tuesday. The heavy price decline in the domestic market follows a heavy correction of the gold price in the international market, according to gold dealers.
In the international market, the price of gold has plunged to nearly $1,863 per ounce on Wednesday from $2,075 on August 7. The reference rate set by the FENEGOSIDA daily is largely dictated by the price of the yellow metal in the international market.
The price of the precious yellow metal has remained on an upward trend for the past few months. In Nepali market, its price jumped to a record high of Rs 103,500 per tola on Friday (August 7). Dealers say that they were observing a slump in the demand of gold in the eve of festive season due to the surge of the precious yellow metal’s price to cross Rs 100,000-mark.
However, the price started to retrace from Sunday. Analysts say that the gold price rally was largely driven by the growing demands of the precious yellow metal due to looming uncertainty in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
As gold is considered to be a safe haven for investors during the period of uncertainties, the pandemic combined with other factors like the economic contraction and China and the US tensions have led to a surge in the demands of gold.
However, the recent sell-off of the gold to book profit by investors as well as news about the vaccine of COVID-19 is attributed to the fall of the gold price in the last few days.


text:
Dawoon Kang, co-founder of Coffee Meets Bagel and Women 2.0 conference speaker, compares online dating today to ecommerce before PayPal.
By Jessica Stillman (Editor, Women 2.0)
Probably you know a few happy couples who met online, but it’s also probable that you’ve had friends tell you online dating stories that mix the hilarious and horrifying. Dating via tech, in other words, retains a bit of Wild West flavor — sure, you could strike gold, but it’s risky and just as likely that after all that adventure, you’ll end up high and dry.
“Similar to what happened to gaming, I envision an influx of a ton of people coming into online dating,” she told Women 2.0. What will drive this wider acceptance of and comfort with tech-enabled dating? Kang points to business model innovation.
“It’s a very exciting time for online dating because this industry hasn’t been disrupted for a very long time. Match.com came along in the ‘90s and opened the industry. eHarmony was the next [company] that innovated the business model in that, instead of search and browse, they did the algorithm. Then OKCupid came along and did this free thing. Other than those innovations, most remain pretty much the same,” she explains.
But, Kang believes, further change is on the way as the the sorts of founders tackling the space becomes more diverse — with the notable exception of Match.com, which was co-founded by Fran Maier, in the past most dating states have been started by men. “Business model-wise it’s completely going to shift from subscription to an a la carte freemium type of model where people don’t have to pay for what they don’t need. I feel like many of the not so good things we see in online dating are a side effect of that subscription business model.”
And with new business models will come new users. “Similar to what happened to gaming, I envision an influx of people coming into online dating because it’s freemium. They feel a lot more comfortable. They feel safe. Before, if you think about gaming, it was just hardcore guy users. Now with the casual games, the market just opened up with many more women participating. I see something like that happening with online dating. Eventually it will become so normal,” she predicts.
That’s good for singles looking to find love (without fending off an army of creepers), but it’s also good for founders in the space looking to be taken seriously — and VCs looking to make a buck or two. “A lot of investors don’t think it’s big enough of a problem, which I find a bit ironic because there are so many single people in the world,” says Kang of her fundraising experiences with CMB. “I think the current market size is like the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much potential,” she says before going on to compare online dating today to the early days of ecommerce.
“When pioneers were experimenting with ecommerce, a lot of people were like, ‘are you crazy? I’m not going to give my credit card. That’s ridiculous!’ So they didn’t participate, but with PayPal and all those secure online tools that actually made people comfortable, ecommerce now is huge,” she says. “I feel like, with online dating, if you just provide people with the right tool, why not, right?”
Do you agree we’ve only seen the tip of the online dating iceberg?
Jessica Stillman (@entrylevelrebel) is an editor at Women 2.0 and a freelance writer with interests in unconventional career paths, generational differences, and the future of work. She writes a daily column for Inc.com and has blogged for CBS MoneyWatch, GigaOM and Brazen Careerist, among others.


text:
The beta version of Tesla’s fully automatic control (FSD) software has had a difficult life. Aside from a number of accidents that drivers blame for this, they have been dispute over its design features. Now the new update aims to significantly improve and increase the level of confidence in the system.
While this may seem troublesome at first, imagine that you are making a turn with a driver who is unsure whether he can even safely make a turn. FSD 10.12 aims to address this issue by more accurately forecasting the situation and increasing vehicle speed through turns, among others.
In addition, Tesla seems to have addressed a number of serious issues and annoying issues related to the previous version. Phantom braking seems even better, as the change log mentions “False slowdown associated with reduced traffic control.”
Related: Tesla fires employee who posted on YouTube a video of a small collision on the beta version of the FSD
This small change will make many Tesla owners happier, but the list is expanding beyond that shift. For example, much more detailed visualization of vehicles on the driver’s information display. Instead of simple shapes, the vast majority of vehicles have deeper details.
The vehicles on display showcase a number of new features. Tesla drivers will not only get an indication when other drivers are applying the brakes or using turn signals, but they will also know when other cars have their doors open. Previously, Tesla cars automatically did their best to go around the open door, but now it will become clearer why their car can change lanes at the moment.
Overall, this update is intended to improve the update Full ability to self-manage predict things happening around him. The software can better evaluate things that are both near and far, which, in theory, should make it safer and smoother. Of course, there is no guarantee as to how safe or smooth this will be in practice.
At the moment, Full Self Driving 10.12 is only available to Tesla employees, which is standard practice at the moment. However, we expect that sooner rather than later, it will appear for regular users.
Screenshot Whole Mars Catalog / Youtube


text:
The weakness in this area has caused customer engagement to suffer, said the research firm.
Gartner has recently released a report that has been entitled “Weak Mobile Customer Service Is Harming Customer Engagement” and which has provided some considerable insight into the issues that are facing the m-commerce industry.
The researchers at Gartner have pointed out that consumer expectations aren’t met by the support they are receiving.
The report pointed out that because mobile customer service is not up to snuff, it is not having a very positive result on the customer engagement that they are experiencing. As high quality customer engagement is one of the most important principles in successful m-commerce, this discovery by Gartner may be the motivator that IT leaders require in order to innovate in the area of engaging consumers on multiple channels and to have the metrics that are provided select the projects that will be pursued.
The report showed that Gartner feels that there is a considerable weakness in mobile customer service, but that it is fixable.
It was also evident that the report saw the opportunity to turn this perceived weakness around and to convert it into what could one day be a strength in mobile commerce. According to the vice president and an analyst at Gartner, Michael Maoz, “Marketing may fill the sales funnel, and the sales department can close a deal, yet it is the overall impression of the enterprise generated by the quality of customer service that differentiates one enterprise from another.”
Maoz also pointed out that attempting to express the concept of overall and departmental customer engagement so that it can be broken down and understood as components of operations throughout an enterprise is beginning a transformation of the very definition of what customer service actually is. In fact, while that was once seen as “an isolated function”, it is now starting to become “an enterprise objective”, which must be “delivered across all points where the customer ‘touches’ the business.”
Gartner also feels that mobile customer service is going to provide the very opposite effect that had previously been predicted by others in the industry. While some may believe that the need for humans in the customer service experience could be replaced by mobile technologies, Gartner feels that within a span of two years, one in every three customer service interactions will still need “human intermediary” support.


text:
Idled workers occupy factory in Chicago
By RUPA SHENOY,
Associated Press Writer Rupa Shenoy,
CHICAGO – Workers laid off from their jobs at a factory have occupied the building and are demanding assurances they'll get severance and vacation pay that they say they are owed.
About 200 employees of Republic Windows and Doors began their sit-in Friday, the last scheduled day of the plant's operation.
Leah Fried, an organizer with the United Electrical Workers, said the Chicago-based vinyl window manufacturer failed to give 60 days' notice required by law before shutting down.
Workers also were angered when company officials didn't show up for a meeting Friday that had been arranged by U.S. Rep Luis Gutierrez, a Chicago Democrat, she said.
During the peaceful takeover, workers have been shoveling snow and cleaning the building, Fried said.
"We're doing something we haven't since the 1930s, so we're trying to make it work," Fried said.
Union officials said another meeting with the company is scheduled for Monday.
Representatives of Republic Windows did not immediately respond Saturday to calls and e-mails seeking comment.
Police spokeswoman Laura Kubiak said authorities were aware of the situation and officers were patrolling the area.
Crain's Chicago Business reported that the company's monthly sales had fallen to $2.9 million from $4 million during the past month. In a memo to the union, obtained by the business journal, Republic CEO Rich Gillman said the company had "no choice but to shut our doors."


text:
China’s strong economic recovery is likely to provide more of a support to the recovery in (non-oil) commodity producers in Latin America and Africa than it will in the rest of Asia. But we don’t think that China’s growth will provide as much of a boost to EMs as it did after the Global Financial Crisis.
- China’s strong economic recovery is likely to provide more of a support to the recovery in (non-oil) commodity producers in Latin America and Africa than it will in the rest of Asia. But we don’t think that China’s growth will provide as much of a boost to EMs as it did after the Global Financial Crisis.
- China’s economy is on course to return to its pre-virus trend by the end of this year – a far quicker recovery than we are expecting anywhere else in the emerging (or indeed developed) world. Its rebound has been driven by stronger investment, led by the state sector. (See Chart 1). This has drawn parallels with the country’s stimulus-led recovery following the 2008/09 Global Financial Crisis (GFC).
- The 2009 stimulus mainly focused on infrastructure and property spending. This fuelled a surge in industrial commodity import volumes and a sharp rise in global commodity prices. Natural resources producers benefitted on both fronts. For instance, as a share of their own GDP, goods exports to China rose by 5-10% in Zambia and Malaysia in 2008-10, and by around 2% of GDP in Kuwait, Angola and Chile. (See Chart 2.) More generally, rising commodity prices boosted producers’ terms of trade, supporting domestic incomes and helping to fund expansionary fiscal policies. Many EMs also experienced higher capital inflows, primarily into natural resource sectors, on hopes of a continued commodities ‘super-cycle’.
- That said, for most of Asia, rapid growth in China was not the boon that many assume. Aside from Malaysia and Indonesia, economies in the region aren’t major commodity producers. And there wasn’t particularly strong demand for imported manufactured products in which the likes of Taiwan, Vietnam and Korea specialise. The 1-2% of GDP the pick-up in exports to China from these countries reflected the recovery in the global economy, rather than stronger Chinese demand. And exports to China actually fell relative to GDP in the Philippines, Hong Kong and India. (See Chart 2 again.) Otherwise, higher disposable incomes in China provided only a small boost to tourism sectors and other foreign services in the rest of the region.
- Similar patterns will play out this time. China’s stimulus is again infrastructure-heavy (albeit with less focus on property this time). And, as it did in 2009, this has boosted commodity import volumes – particularly from producers such as Chile – as well as industrial metals prices. (See Chart 3.) Copper, nickel and zinc have been the biggest beneficiaries. We think this trend has a bit further to run over the coming quarters.
- Based our commodity price forecasts, we think that major metals producers such as Zambia, Chile and Peru will receive a boost to their terms of trade this year and next. (See the left-hand side of Chart 4.) That will help to support domestic incomes and aid their recoveries. In contrast, oil producers such as Kuwait, Angola and Oman will continue to struggle (see the right-hand side of Chart 4), as we expect oil prices to remain well below their pre-pandemic levels owing to subdued global demand.
- Meanwhile, Asian economies won’t receive much of a boost from China’s recovery. Although we expect consumer spending in China to strengthen, this is unlikely to boost demand for foreign manufactured goods. Indeed, China’s imports of finished consumer goods are negligible. And in many industries China is less dependent on imported components than it was a decade ago. Otherwise, Asian economies can’t bank on higher Chinese overseas tourism – this will be one of the last areas of demand to recover from the crisis.
- As a result, (non-oil) commodity producers are once again set to ride the wave of China’s stimulus-led recovery. But there will be two key differences from the post-GFC experience. First, the boost from stimulus is likely to fizzle out more quickly. Authorities in China are already weighing up the trade-off between additional stimulus against concerns about debt and financial stability. That was not the case in 2009. Accordingly, we expect a smaller boost to commodity prices and producers’ terms of trade this time.
- Second, domestic factors will have a larger bearing on the pace of recoveries. The nature of this crisis is different to the GFC. Containing the spread of the virus is the key to faster growth, as this will allow activity to strengthen across the economy. Indeed, despite keeping mines open and maintaining strong exports to China, Chile’s economy still contracted by 13.2% q/q in Q2.
- That owed to severe weakness in its non-mining sector. This is a stark reminder that a renewed rise in virus cases has the potential to disrupt recoveries, including in the commodity producers that stand to gain the most from China’s recovery. These factors help to explains why we hold below-consensus GDP forecasts for much of the emerging world, even though we are more upbeat than most about the outlook in China.
Chart 1: China Fixed Asset Investment (% y/y)
Chart 2: Change in Merchandise Exports to China
Chart 3: S&P GSCI Indices (1st Jan. 2020 = 100)
Chart 4: CE Estimate of Change in Net Commodity Exports (% of GDP)
Sources: Refinitiv, Intracen, CEIC, Capital Economics
Nikhil Sanghani, Emerging Markets Economist, firstname.lastname@example.org


text:
Jiuzi Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: JZXN) is a Hangzhou, China-based franchiser and retailer of new energy vehicles (NEVs) across third and fourth tier cities in the country. Shares of the electric vehicle retailer are rallying 18% through early trading on Thursday, October 14, 2021. Over the past three months, Jiuzi has seen average daily volume of 1.07 million shares. However, volume of 8.87 million shares or dollar volume of $22 million, has already exchanged hands through early trading on Thursday.
Shares of Jiuzi Holdings are gaining after the company announced that the Jiuzi Southern China Operation Center has officially begun operations as of September 29, 2021. The new operations facility comes as the company aims to expand its market share in the Southern part of China. Management sees the benefits of the new facility expand beyond just market share opportunity. The company believes the new facility will assist with operations and financial efforts.
As a part of the new expansion, Jiuzi has entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Nanning Huangyang Automobile Sales Limited, a leading alternative energy vehicle distributor in the Guangxi Province. Under the agreement, Nanning Huangyang will sell Jiuzi’s vehicles through its distribution channels in South China.
Mr. Shuibo Zhang, CEO, Director and Chairman of Jiuzi Holdings, Inc., commented: “We are very excited about the establishment of Jiuzi Southern China, which is one of the most important strategic moves in Jiuzi’s business blueprint. Since our debut on Nasdaq market in May 2021, we have been steadily operating our legacy business and effectively growing our geographic and market footprint. We have seen greater acceptance to the new energy vehicles in China market in recent years. JZXN will continually expand our strategic layout within China to meet the growing demands in this area and obtain long term return for our investors.”
Disclosure: Neither Spotlight Growth nor its officers have any position or relationship with any companies mentioned in this article. No payment was made to create this article. This article should not be taken as a solicitation or recommendation to buy or sell any securities. Please conduct your own research and consult your financial advisor to determine your risk tolerance and investment path. We are not licensed brokers or investment advisors.


text:
A prototype version of the Porsche 918 Spyder, wearing the Martini livery, has been recently spotted in Milano, where the supercar has managed to attract a lot of curious eyes.
The German based automaker Porsche is already working on the 918 Spyder, and with Ferrari and McLaren moving faster these days, with their LaFerrari and P1, the model in question is expected to receive a boost in development and to make its way onto the market sooner than expected. The video posted below is showing a prototype version of the Porsche 918 Spyder, dressed in the legendary Martini livery, on the streets of Milano, Italy.
The Porsche 918 Spyder is expected to be powered by a 4.6 liter V8 engine, mated to two electric motors. The supercar should put down as much as 875 HP (652 kW) and it’s believed that the model can lap the Nordschleife in less than 7 minutes. The Porsche 918 Spyder will get four-wheel steering from the 911 GT3 and it will be able to reach a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph) in electric mode. The final production version of the Porsche 918 Spyder will make its way onto the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, in September.


text:
New car sales rose 6.24 per cent in October compared to the same month last year. Figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), show 2,315 new cars were registered last month. Total registrations for the year so far stand at 86,870, a drop of 25.2 per cent on the same period last year.
The collapse in the car rental market – down 84 per cent due to the collapse in international travel – has played a major part in this drop. New hire-drive registrations so far this year amount to 2,914, down 15,438 on the same period last year. Traditionally representing 16 per cent of all new-car registrations, but that is now just 3.4 per cent for 2020.
The company car market is also down 28 per cent on last year, while leasing/contract hire sales have fallen 37 per cent.
In contrast, sales to individual private buyers are down just 9.6 per cent over the same period.
The figures show a continued growth in sales of hybrids and electric models. Regular hybrids accounted for nearly 11,000 sales, while plug-in hybrid versions totalled 2,447. Fully electric cars accounted for 3,867 registrations so far this year, representing 4.45 per cent of the total new-car market.
However, diesel remains the favourite new-car buy for Irish motorists, representing 54,164 registrations, giving it a 43.1 per cent market share.
Volkswagen is the best-selling brand on the market this year, with 10,522 registrations, ahead of Toyota with 9,961 and Hyundai with 8,018.
Only three brands have recorded sales growth so far this year: Tesla with 724 registrations, up 540 per cent on last year; Porsche with 110 registrations, up 67 per cent; and Ssangyong with 54 registrations, up 15 per cent.
The Toyota Corolla remains the best-selling model, ahead of the Hyundai Tucson and VW Tiguan. However, during October the model with the most registrations was the new VW ID.3 its new all-electric family hatchback car.
In the commercial vehicle market, new van registrations were 1,667, up 56.2 per cent in October compared to the same month last year, though the market for the year to date is down 15.3 per cent at 20,857. Similarly, heavy-goods vehicle registrations are up 15.7 per cent at 155 in October, but down 21.5 per cent at 1,951 for the year to date.
According to Brian Cooke, SIMI director general: "With car showrooms closed for the next number of weeks due to Government Covid-19 restrictions, retailers have been enhancing their online presence, particularly with the month of November being the key selling period for forward orders for the new registration plate in January.
“Manufacturers and retailers are already offering generous incentives for customers to buy a new car. With the ongoing impact of Covid and the impending Brexit deadline fast approaching it is vital that the Government continue to support business in this uncertain trading environment.”


text:
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy release was supposed to be a bigger event for this game that deserves more. Eidos Montreal managed to launch a fun game with a well-paced narrative, all with a high-level artistic direction and a very good soundtrack (read the review). Although the commercial success wasn’t when it came out, the game appears to be finding its audience thanks to Xbox Game Pass.
Xbox Game Pass revives Guardians of the Galaxy
Sales of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy were lower than Square Enix expected. Marvel’s Avengers failure in 2020 is still hanging in the memory, and players have been reluctant to make the decision. But something will finally re-launch the device: the game’s release on Xbox Game Pass on March 10, 2022.
In an interview with EurogamerCreative Director Jean-Francois Dugas says he has no regrets and says the team did everything they could to create a good game with this new franchise.
Storytelling Director Mary DeMarle said the game’s arrival on Xbox Game Pass helped the game find its audience.
For me, it’s really all about making the game. What I love now is people, especially with Games Pass, playing it and sharing their experience.
We make games to reach people, we create games to reach audiences. And it’s great that he finds his audience, it’s great that he keeps moving forward.
According to one analyst, Microsoft would have paid between $5 and $10 million to integrate the game with Xbox Game Pass, the service that has more than 25 million subscribers worldwide.
Currently, developers from Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy don’t want to comment on their next project, but when asked if a sequel might be considered, they respond with a “never say never” joke. It is necessary to “not say anything”.
“Tv geek. Certified beer fanatic. Extreme zombie fan. Web aficionado. Food nerd. Coffee junkie.”


text:
Optimizely, a San Francisco-based cloud-based startup, is slashing its workforce by 10 percent across all the departments. Based on recent round of finance, Otpimizely was valued at $585 million. Since its inception in 2009, Optimizely has raised over $146 million investments including $58 million round in 2015.
- RIOC’s CEO Shelton Haynes Says Roosevelt Island Boasts a Model Public Safety Department
- Investor Dan Calugar Discusses Whether the Emergence of Quantum Computing in Algorithmic Trading Is a Game-Changer for Financial Markets
- Meet Grant Conner: The Eco-Friendly Gold Supplier Revolutionizing the Jewelry Industry
Led by technology sector, venture capital (VC) investments in Canada reached 10 year high in 2015. Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA) said 536 deals in funding for entrepreneurs raised $2.25 billion in 2015.
Silicon Valley-based private co-investment platform F50 has the launched beta version of co-investment Syndication Platform. F50 facilitates both the online and offline transactions for investors and startups. It doesn't charge a transaction fee to founders.
The micro venture capital (VC) funding space in India is witnessing a robust activity. A rising new breed of venture capital investors is keen on early-stage investment in startups. About 12 micro venture capital funds are operational in India.
Grand Rapids, Michigan mark the highest record in venture capital investment in 2015. A venture capital firm based in the largest city of West Michigan scored a 20% increase from previous year.
AccelFoods promises financial and operative backing for six next-generation food and beverage startup companies, from their pre-seed through Series B stages. The investor has raised a fund of $20 million for this purpose, in line with its tradition of supporting the unique and innovative products in the market.
The retail tech startup Salesfloor closed $3 million seed fund on Tuesday. The fund was led by BDC Capital IT Venture Fund and two London-based investors Jamie True and Jon Claydon.
Yes, that is true. Sesame Street is now working with Collaborative Fund and investing $10 million in the new venture fund. The fund will focus on companies working on childhood development.
Tydy managed to raise $138,000 in angel funding from the online platform, LetsVenture. Participating in the round are investors, Hareesh Ramana, Nikhil Ramanlal, Bhupen Shah from Silicon Valley and others.
Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Transatomic Power Corporation has just received $2 million from FF Science, part of Founders Fund's $1 billion investment pool targeted at science and engineering-based companies.
Palo Alto, California-based single-page promotional website design platform raised $1.7 million in a seed funding round ledyby Founder's Co-op to expand its market reach, improve its products, and enable mobile content creation.
New York, US-based mobile gameplay-recording startup Kamcord raised $7.1 million in a Series A funding round led by TransLink Capital to conquer the giant gaming markets of Japan, China, and South Korea.
New York City, US-based online legal staffing startup Hire an Esquire closed $350,000 in its seed funding round from investors 37 Angels, 645 Ventures, and Ulu Ventures to expand its client base.
Sao Paulo, Brazil-based curated web platform Netshow.me closed an undisclosed amount in its seed funding round from Buscape co-founder Rodrigo Borges to offer online concert service for artists and musicians.
American startup Talkwheel raises $1.2M from angels to aggregate social media conversations in a visual map
San Francisco, US-based social media conversation startup Talkwheel raised $1.2 million in funding from several angel investors to aggregate the conversations on the web in a visual map so businesses can monitor trending topics.


text:
- Morgan Stanley believes that income from the gig economy will be enhanced by generative AI.
- Companies that provide platforms to gig workers that integrate AI are expected to benefit.
- Gig workers using generative AI reported a 21% boost in income.
Contrary to popular fears, generative artificial intelligence may not threaten your job but could help you make more money, according to a Morgan Stanley note on September 18.
It's especially true for those taking on side hustles or gig work, which the investment bank believes will grow significantly more popular as the gap between incomes and expenses widens.
The note points to diminishing asset wealth prospects for younger generations as a key driver of a growing gig economy. For example, Gen Z homebuyers face a 10x multiple of salary versus Gen X homebuyers in 1986 who faced a 4x at a comparable age. Additional drivers of working multiple jobs include an increased desire for flexible work hours in a slower-growing economy.
A survey conducted by the investment bank showed that younger or college-educated respondents believed that generative AI could help alleviate some of these gaps. It also showed that participants were already loosely using AI tools for things like homework and making money. Almost 30% of Gen Z respondents believed that AI created a little more job security. Only 5% of respondents feared the technology would make them feel a lot less secure in their roles.
The survey also showed that AI tools are making gig work more profitable. Those turning to the technology reported a 21% boost in income from using generative AI relative to their peers who didn't use it.
If the case could be made that generative AI gives gig workers a 21% boost in income, then the gig economy combined with AI is slated to add $400 billion in income globally by 2030, according to Morgan Stanley's estimates.
It's a growing trend that the investment bank dubs worthy of being a new secular growth theme.
Apps and platforms that facilitate e-commerce, marketplaces for freelancers, shared rides, food-delivery apps, and even investing platforms are expected to reap the benefits of this growing trend. However, that's only if they've jumped on the bandwagon and integrated generative AI capabilities into their platforms or are in the process of incorporating it.
Gig-work platforms can integrate AI tools and streamline the user experience by assisting with creating and customizing business listings. For example, on rent-to-earn platforms where hosts offer short-term rental properties, it can customize a page and respond to user complaints and comments. E-commerce listings can have product listings enhanced with better-quality images and product descriptions.
Below are four stocks that Morgan Stanley's analysts rate as "overweight," which means they have a high conviction that these stocks will outperform their peers.
First on the list is Adobe. According to equity analyst Keith Weiss, the software company's integration of generative AI add-ons and features provided through its Firefly product is expected to add $1.99 billion in additional revenue for the company by 2025. The stock's price target is $660.
Amazon (AMZN) is helping lay the foundation for developers and enterprises to build generative AI applications through its platform Bedrock, accessible through its web services cloud. Thousands of companies, including big names like IBM, the investment firm Bridgewater, Booking.com, and Phillips have already used the product. The company has also introduced Agents, a service that can respond to requests and complete tasks, according to equity analyst Brian Nowak. The stock has a price target of $175.
Alibaba (BABA) touts its competitive advantage in offering AI capabilities across four layers: computing power, model, data, and applications. The company launched a marketing tool that will enable users to improve their storefront decorations and generate things such as pictures, slogans, and listings, according to equity analyst Gary Yu. The stock's price target is $150.
The Chinese food-delivery app Meituan is also ahead of the AI game after it purchased Light Year. This AI startup company will give access to talent that could develop the technology. However, Yu noted that the structure of the deal raises concerns. The stock's price target is set at HK180.
Beyond these four, other beneficiaries that Morgan Stanley listed (while not being overweight rated) include Uber, GoDaddy, Udemy, and Roblox.
The companies that could be challenged by this trend include Yelp, Robinhood, and Lyft.
Below is an extended table that shows the brands Morgan Stanley believes will benefit or be challenged by the intersection of gig work and generative AI.


text:
4 results were returned
For a third consecutive year we have asked our technology & communications specialists from around the world to identify the challenges and opportunities they expect the sector to face in 2020.
2020 has been one of the most challenging years in living memory, as governments, businesses and individuals have had to adapt to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The enforced global lockdowns have put a spotlight ...
Published on 19 February 2020, the European Commission's communication on a European strategy for data sets out a bold vision for the EU to become a leading role model for a society empowered by data to make better ...
Blockchain is perhaps best known as the technology on which Bitcoin and other digital cryptocurrencies are built. Adoption of blockchain technology – especially in the financial services sector – has been rapid but in ...


text:
During last week’s QuakCon 2010, John Carmack of id Software showed off a tech demo of Rage running on the iPhone 4 at 60 frames per second. The graphics looked amazing and will make most Android fans jealous, but most of the latest Android phones actually have the power to duplicate the same performance.
Inside the iPhone 4 is Apple’s A4 chip which is a 45nm 1GHz Cortex-A8 CPU believed to be matched with a PowerVR SGX535 GPU. Recent Android launches like the Droid X/2 and Galaxy S also have 45nm 1GHz Cortex-A8 CPUs and contain PowerVR SGX GPUs. Motorola is using the older SGX530, but Samsung was the first we know of to put the PowerVR SGX540 in a smartphone.
Carmack said the visuals in his Rage demo matched anything from the Playstation 2 or original XBOX. Imagination Technology, makers of the PowerVR GPU, recently said we could expect PS3 graphics in 3 years, so I’m a little surprised by what id Software has been able to acheive on current generation smartphones.
Android was actually mentioned during QuakCon 2010. Carmack said they were still “spot-surveying” the Android Market to see if it was worth supporting. He went on to explain it would not happen “this cycle”, but it would be evaluated in about six months.
So games with mind-blowing graphics are certainly possible with the latest Android phones, but the bleeding edge of software development is still taking place on the iPhone. Carmack might not be a fan of Android yet, but I have a strong feeling the next six months will change his mind.


text:
HTC, the Taiwanese cellphone company that almost a year ago paid $300 million for a majority stake in the company behind the popular Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, has sold half its position, the company said on Sunday.
Beats Electronics, founded by Dr. Dre and the record impresario Jimmy Iovine, paid $150 million to buy back the HTC shares. The two now control 75 percent of the company, with HTC still holding 25 percent.
At the same time, HTC revealed that it had lent Beats $225 million.
It was not clear what prompted HTC’s decision. The company said that the stock sale and loan provide Beats “with more flexibility for global expansion while maintaining HTC’s major stake and commercial exclusivity in mobile,” as it shared the news in a brief note to investors on its Web site.
When announcing HTC’s investment in Beats last August, Peter Chou, HTC’s chief executive, said that teaming up with a top music brand would help his company compete with other cellphone makers like Apple and Samsung. Beats headphones have prospered from a sleek design and heavy promotion — Mr. Iovine wore them constantly while appearing as a coach on “American Idol.” With almost $500 million in sales in the United States last year, Beats had about a quarter of the $2 billion headphone market.
But HTC has been slow to incorporate music into its products, while Samsung, for example, recently bought a cloud media service and introduced a music-heavy new phone, the Galaxy S III. Last month, Beats bought Mog, a streaming music service, for $14 million, but gave little indication about its plans.
Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesNicole (Snooki) Polizzi has endorsed the iHip line of headphones. “Obviously I like to be tacky and I like to be gaudy,” she told reporters.
Dan Gluskoter/European Pressphoto AgencyThe rapper 50 Cent is producing his own line of headphones.
The International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week offered thousands of novel gadgets and high-tech products like remote-controlled indoor helicopters, ultrathin computer glass and refrigerators that play Pandora.
It also generated a steady stream of news about what has become one of the most crowded product lines in music tech: expensive, celebrity-branded headphones, which according to some estimates have become a billion-dollar business.
First, a prominent divorce. Beats Electronics, the company that pioneered the business, is ending its manufacturing deal with Monster Cable Products, Bloomberg Businessweek reported.
Beats, founded by the hip-hop producer Dr. Dre and the music impresario Jimmy Iovine, has become the model for a branded electronics product, with retail prices up to $400 and constant promotion on “American Idol” by Mr. Iovine, a talent coach on the show. The company sold a majority stake last year to HTC, a Taiwanese cellphone and tablet maker, for $300 million.
But can Beats maintain its sales momentum, with more competitors than Eminem had to face in “8 Mile”? In addition to lines already introduced by Quincy Jones, Ludacris and Jay-Z, there is Beats’ old partner, Monster, which is also getting into the game. Monster’s offering, as Businessweek notes, is a $200 pair of in-ear phones that “bears the name of the ’70s soul act Earth, Wind and Fire.” Read more…


text:
We’ve already taken a close look at Fantastical 2 for iPhone and Fantastical 2 for iPad, and today Flexibits is releasing Fantastical 2.1 for both platforms with a list of new features and discounting Fantastical for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Among the list of changes include new snooze functionality, event invitation notifications and badges, notifications for upcoming birthdays, external keyboard shortcut support, and more. Below we’ll take a look at each new feature added to Fantastical for iPhone and iPad… Read more
FiftyThree, the developers behind the popular drawing app Paper, today announced it’s releasing an SDK that will let all developers take advantage of its Pencil stylus for iOS devices. First launched last year alongside an update to Paper, Pencil is a $60 Bluetooth stylus for the drawing app that aims to offer a realistic pencil-to-paper drawing experience.
The SDK will allow for a smooth experience with the Pencil stylus in other apps and that also means in some cases FiftyThree will be working to improve the apps of its direct competitors while hopefully selling its stylus as a platform in the process. Devs will get access to palm rejection, erase, easy pairing, and all the pencil and touch classifiers the company uses in the Paper app. Support for surface pressure is also arriving with iOS 8: Read more
The Apple TV will soon be getting more content thanks to a new FXNOW channel set to debut on the platform in the near future, according to two new reports (via iLounge). The news comes from the Television Critics Association Press Tour with TV writer Jason Lynch reporting the FXNOW channel will arrive on Apple TV within 12 months. The FXNOW channel, which is already available on iOS devices via an app for iPhone and iPad, offers on-demand video streaming from across the FX, FXX, and FXM networks. Read more
With more and more retailers, event spaces, and others deploying Apple’s Bluetooth LE iBeacon technology in order to beam iPhone and iPad users context and location aware notifications, we still haven’t seen much data on how the beacons are improving ad engagement for marketers. InMarket, a company installing iBeacons in grocery stores around the country that talk to a number of apps from its advertising partners, today shared some of the first stats from a specific consumer brand using the platform. Read more
Facebook announced today that it’s rolling out a new feature for its mobile apps that will let users save content for easy access at a later date. A list of saved content from Facebook— including links to things like places, movies, TV, and music— will appear in the Facebook mobile apps in the “More” section and on the left side bar on the web. Read more
We’ve already seen a few developers preview how new technologies introduced in iOS 8 make new features possible. Last month we saw 1Password’s iPhone app take advantage of the new access developers have to Touch ID and systemwide Extensions with their iOS 8 beta, and a number of health and fitness app developers have discussed their excitement for Apple’s new HealthKit tool. Today the developers of the fairly new iPhone app Numerous have previewed in a blog post their plans to include an app widget for presenting numbers from the app in the new Today view in Notification Center coming to the iPhone and iPad in iOS 8… Read more


text:
The latest news and insight on the current state of U.S. Ports, including infrastructure investment, new services, labor issues, and global trade volumes.
Posted 12/14 · 08:31 AM · LM Editorial
A potential labor strike by longshoremen along the US East and Gulf Coasts at the end of the year could have devastating economic consequences as inventory depletion, rerouting, hoarding, and price speculation ripple through supply chains of global companies, Marsh warned in a new report published this week.
Posted 12/10 · 04:54 PM · SCMR Editorial
Even though the nation’s top ocean cargo gateways have been virtually shut down for several days this past month, retailers are reporting a slight increase in inbound throughput
Posted 12/10 · 04:48 PM · LM Editorial
Even though the nation’s top ocean cargo gateways have been virtually shut down for several days this past month, retailers are reporting a slight increase in inbound throughput.
Posted 12/10 · 08:34 AM · LM Editorial
To understand just how frustrated shippers have become with stalled labor/management talks, one need only read the latest plea for reason.
Posted 12/06 · 10:55 AM · LM Editorial
New services in these regions include ocean transport, providing a single contact for full-container-load (FCL) and expedited less-than-container load supply chain services.
Posted 12/05 · 10:01 AM · LM Editorial
Federal mediators help reach a tentative agreement for Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach with the Warehouse Union Local 63 Office Clerical Unit ("OCU").
Posted 12/01 · 05:00 PM · LM Editorial
Top analysts help logistics and supply chain professionals better understand and overcome the mounting challenges of global transportation and logistics management.
Posted 11/30 · 12:24 PM · LM Editorial
While negotiating teams representing employers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach meet with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63 Office Clerical Unit ("OCU") today, several key terminals at both ocean cargo gateways are shut down.
Posted 11/29 · 10:54 AM · LM Editorial
As winter approaches, the nation’s supply chain infrastructure will continue to become damaged from seasonal elements such as freezing rain, sleet and snow.
Posted 11/29 · 09:54 AM · LM Editorial
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has urged both parties in the LA Port labor dispute to return to the bargaining table


text:
Image credit: Shutterstock
The evolution of USB4 technology is on the horizon, with Windows 11 now supporting the faster USB4 2.0 standard, boasting speeds of up to 80Gbps. Despite the slow emergence of compatible products, the update suggests that devices capable of these higher speeds may become more prevalent in the coming year. Additionally, Thunderbolt 5, a related specification, is also anticipated.
Windows’ integration with Android devices is expanding as well, with features like editing recent photos directly from connected devices. This update signals Microsoft’s efforts to enhance Windows-Android integration, with features such as using Android devices as webcams. Furthermore, Windows is gearing up for Wi-Fi 7 support, promising even faster wireless connections in the near future.


text:
The Fourth Expo Central China 2009 has been held recently in the city of Hefei, capital of eastern Anhui province. The China Investment & Trade Exposition, or 2009 Central China Expo, highlights business opportunities in the heartland of China.
The Expo attracted about 16,000 visitors on the very first day and, right after the first hour on the first day of the Expo, a machinery & equipment manufacturer from central-south China's Hunan province struck a sales deal of more than 30 million Renminibi (RMB) yuan (about 440,000 US dollars).
Meanwhile, a dealer from the city of Yixing in east China's Jiangsu province was seen at a loss of what to do upon entering one of the exhibition halls. He could not do anything but stamp his feet with fury as a shortage of display stands failed or foiled his anticipated plan to exhibit his Boccaro teapots and other exquisite wares.
An expo is often a market barometer. With a sustained negative impact of the ongoing global financial crisis, economic development in central China is still showy and conspicuous. Fixed assets investment in the region surged 34.3 percent in the first quarter this year, up 5.7 percent on the country's national average. In the first three months of 2009, economic growth rate in five central China provinces was higher than the national average, and the economy of the four provinces in the region even recorded double digit growth.
Without the daring, all-out efforts of the reform and opening-up over the past three decades and a range of correct policy measures set forth by the Chinese government for the region that were well targeted and feasible, there could be no such immense material and technological accumulations as today and no sustained economic prosperity and development in the central China region.
Since the strategic policy of the Party Central Committee on the rise of Central China was adopted and commenced in 2006, "city groups" in the region are better able to amass economic and distribute local population. Consequently, a sound situation has emerged in central China, which is featured by a fast economic growth, an all-round social progress and marked improvements in the livelihood of local people.
Nevertheless, it should be notified that Central China is still facing numerous difficulties or problems. In view of its exterior environment, the region now has to curb the expansion of industries with excess production capacity as the impact of global financial crisis goes on deepening or penetrating in the region.
In term of regional development itself, an economic setup in central China is not so perfect or rational, and its technical norms low and high value-added industries lopsided. Likewise, there are also issues requiring urged solution in the fields of local environment and of making professionals available for the job market.
An expo is absolutely no overstatement or exaggeration anyway, but it represents a showcase for the central China region to display its economic vitality; it enables viewers to look to the whole of China, to make clear their goal or orientation, and to pluck up their upbeat confidence.
Either for the central China region, or for the nation as a whole, people are sure to straighten up, step forward and work hard and courageously to bring about the scientific development, as long as they are bent on implementing correct macroeconomic policies and introducing the relevant measures to expand the domestic demand.
By People's Daily Online and contributed by PD reporter Gao Yuncai


text:
The special edition OnePlus 6 is supposed to be part of the biggest promo campaign by Marvel Cinematic Universe.
While OnePlus is gearing up to launch the OnePlus 6 globally, there have been reports that the new phone will be part of the Avengers: Infinity War promotional campaign. According to a brief teaser, which has been taken down, the company is supposedly partnering with Marvel Cinematic Universe to launch an Avengers: Infinity War special edition variant of the upcoming OnePlus 6.
According to Deadline, the phone is due to launch in UK in its top-most variant. This could be the limited edition variant similar to the Star Wars and Lava red editions of the OnePlus 5T. The report suggests that this Avengers edition of the phone will feature 256GB storage, 8GB RAM, along with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. However, we are not sure whether this variant is real or if it will be launched in India.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 is the flagship processors by Qualcomm which is likely to power most flagship phones from multiple OEMs this year. The octa-core chip is based on Samsung’s 10nm LPP process and provides better performance over last year’s Snapdragon 835. OnePlus has already confirmed that the device will sport 8GB RAM And 256GB storage. The phone will also carry a display notch, which has sparked “fiery debates” on the company's official forum. However, since then OnePlus has confirmed that the built in compatibility mode software can be used to hide the notch for users who don’t prefer the notch.
Further, the OnePlus 6 will retain the audio jack and company CEO Pete Lau has said that the company wants to make the user experience more reliable and faster with the OnePlus 6. The phone is expected to run on Android 8.1 out of the box and we can expect the device to be updated to Android P in due time. There has been no info on when the phone is to be launched, but it is expected to be unveiled early May.


text: Oppo had officially launched the Diwali edition of Oppo F17 Pro in India on October 19. The sale for Oppo F17 Pro Diwali Edition has begun online via Amazon India on Friday. The smartphone will also be available in offline stores. The pricing of this mid-range smartphone is slated at Rs.23,990. The company has assured a buyback of up to 70% value on purchases made via Paytm. Oppo also offered a 10% instant discount on the purchases made via HDFC Bank Debit and Credit cards. Via offline purchase, a 10% instant discount will be given on EMI transactions via Bank of Baroda credit cards. Oppo F17 Pro Diwali Edition features a 6.43-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display and it is powered by MediaTek’s Helio P95 processor.